Before you get started, make sure to have these account credentials ready:
If you don’t have an account, please follow the steps outlined below.
Claude
To use Claude Code you need a Claude account with a paid subscription plan:
Before you get started, make sure to have these account credentials ready:
If you don’t have an account, please follow the steps outlined below.
To use Claude Code you need a Claude account with a paid subscription plan:
Philipp Acsany RP Team on April 10, 2026
With that setup, you’ve got more backup than I do 😄
That should work perfectly!
olufemi.akinbode on April 11, 2026
Hi Phillip, would you believe that Anthropic is not taking ANY of my Canadian credit cards right now? I can’t sign up for any of the paid plans. And Anthropic is customer service is likely non-existant on weekends. Do you have any suggestions?
Philipp Acsany RP Team on April 11, 2026
Oh no, how annoying! Does a different payment option work maybe? If not, please reach out to me via philipp@realpython.com
olufemi.akinbode on April 11, 2026
HAHAHA Never mind! The system accepted my payment on a month to month plan (I was trying to sign up for an annual plan). I guess they want less money from me. I’m in! Thank you Phillip!
theeternalstudent on May 1, 2026
Hmmm…I’m using a work computer which is blocking Claude Code. My work provides VS Code with Github Copilot and Claude installed. I was hoping to use that setup for this course. After doing more reading I see Claude Code is different than VSCode with Claude.
Am I going to have to switch to a personal computer and use Claude Code and pay for a subscription? Will this course learning translate to VSCode and Github Copilot with Claude?
theeternalstudent on May 2, 2026
I went ahead ancreated a personal Claude Pro account, and github account to do the course on a personal machine.
Philipp Acsany RP Team on May 2, 2026
Hi there, I’m happy that you went ahead and got yourself a personal Claude Pro account. That way you’ll be able to follow exactly what I show in the live course.
That being said, everything you’ll learn will translate smoothly into your usage with Claude Code in VS Code and probably even Copilot.
nINTJa on May 4, 2026
I assumed that a temporary Claude access would be provided in the course. Since Claude subscriptions cost money, it should be stated as an expected cost on the course page. It’s very unwelcome to start setting up for the course to find out on the first page that I should shell out extra money.
Sarah Jane Ross RP Team on May 5, 2026
Hey there, thanks for flagging this, and sorry for the unwelcome surprise!
You’re right that the Claude subscription is a separate cost, and we should make it more visible on the course page. It’s mentioned in the FAQ, but it’s worth highlighting up top too.
A couple of options if you’d like to continue:
Claude Pro is the minimum required, and it’s what I used when I took the course myself — no issues (see Anthropic’s pricing page for current rates in your region).
If you’d rather not pay for a subscription on top, please email info@realpython.com and we’ll process a full refund right away — no questions, you are well within our 14-day guarantee window. Either way, thanks for letting us know. Feedback like this is how the course page gets better!
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bruno.cuzzi on April 10, 2026
I have a Pro Plan but also a Developer API account. If the plan is not enough, I can switch to the API Key usage. Is that fine?